Mexico, Sweden lead after first day at 2017 QubicaAMF World Cup
November 06, 2017
Men's standings | Women's standings
HERMOSILLO, Mexico - For the second consecutive year at the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, a player from the host country made a huge statement during qualifying.
This time, it was Mexico's Arturo Estrada, who averaged nearly 239 to pace the 64-player men's field through the first of four qualifying rounds.
Estrada, a 38-year-old right-hander, was consistent Monday at Bol 300 on the way to a 1,433 six-game total. He had a low game of 220 and closed with 258 to set the pace.
Catalonia's Lluis Montfort is second with 1,394 and followed by Nicola Pongolini of Italy (1,315), Finland's Niko Oksanen (1,309) and Colombia's Oscar Rodriguez (1,279).
"I am excited, but nervous at the same time," said Estrada, a first-time QubicaAMF World Cup participant. "It means a lot to have the incredible support from the community and people from my country, and that really helped. It feels like a family."
Estrada's teammate, Maribel Orozco, agreed with his sentiments and also appreciates the local support, along with the incredible pride that comes with getting to represent your country on your home turf.
Orozco finished the first day of qualifying in fourth place with a 1,355 six-game total.
Defending champion Jenny Wegner of Sweden leads with 1,445, a 240.83 average, which included the first perfect game of this year's World Cup. She is looking to become the fourth woman in history to win the tournament in back-to-back years.
Wegner is followed by Germany's Vanessa Timter (1,389), Krizziah Lyn Tabora of the Philippines (1,364), Orozco and Colombia's Rocio Restrepo (1,312).
This year marks the record third time the World Cup has visited Hermosillo (1994 and 2008) and sixth time Mexico has played host.
Only twice in history has a player from the host country won the event. Bob Worrall of the United States was the first to accomplish the feat when he won the 1981 edition in New York, and China's Wang Hongbo did so last year in Shanghai.
Two Mexicans have won the World Cup. The first was Irma Urrea who won in 1972 in Hamburg, Germany, the first time women competed, and Alfonso Rodriguez, who took the title in Seoul, South Korea, in 1985.
The World Cup first was contested in 1965, and the tournament now is considered one of the sport's most prestigious singles titles. It also is recognized as the largest event in the sport in terms of number of countries competing.
All competitors will return to the lanes at Bol 300 on Tuesday for the second round of qualifying. The women will start the day, live on BowlTV, at noon Eastern. The men will hit the lanes at 5:30 p.m. Eastern.
Team USA's Erin McCarthy and Jakob Butturff both will enter the second round in 12th place in their respective divisions.
For Butturff, Monday's round was a great chance to learn the characteristics of the 32-lane center and 41-foot oil pattern.
While he has become known for his unique, high-revolution delivery, which makes urethane bowling balls his equipment of choice, he actually found success late in Monday's block with a ball he only intended to throw if things got tricky.
Four of Butturff's six bowling balls this week are urethane, but it was a resin ball and a deeper line that helped him finish with games of 234 and 226 to surge into the top 24 with a 1,252 block, a 208.67 average. McCarthy posted a 1,214 total.
"I didn't have a really consistent ball reaction, so I had to grind early, but I was able to find something deeper inside later in the block," said Butturff, the runner-up at last week's U.S. Open. "I went away from my comfort zone, which is throwing urethane, but going to the resin ball helped me finish strong. We're seeing more transition than usual with a lot of lefties, but the possibility of what we did is something we'd talked about."
Participants this year will bowl 24 games over four days, before the field is cut to the top 24 men and top 24 women for eight additional games. After 32 games, total pinfall will determine the eight bowlers in each division for eight games of round-robin match play.
The top four men and top four women after 40 games, including bonus pins, will advance to the knockout-style semifinals Nov. 11, where the No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 qualifier and No. 2 and No. 3 will do battle. The winners of each match will earn a spot in the championship game.
The field this week includes 64 men and 54 women, representing 68 countries.
For more information about the 2017 QubicaAMF World Cup, visit QubicaAMF.com.
HERMOSILLO, Mexico - For the second consecutive year at the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, a player from the host country made a huge statement during qualifying.
This time, it was Mexico's Arturo Estrada, who averaged nearly 239 to pace the 64-player men's field through the first of four qualifying rounds.
Estrada, a 38-year-old right-hander, was consistent Monday at Bol 300 on the way to a 1,433 six-game total. He had a low game of 220 and closed with 258 to set the pace.
Catalonia's Lluis Montfort is second with 1,394 and followed by Nicola Pongolini of Italy (1,315), Finland's Niko Oksanen (1,309) and Colombia's Oscar Rodriguez (1,279).
"I am excited, but nervous at the same time," said Estrada, a first-time QubicaAMF World Cup participant. "It means a lot to have the incredible support from the community and people from my country, and that really helped. It feels like a family."
Estrada's teammate, Maribel Orozco, agreed with his sentiments and also appreciates the local support, along with the incredible pride that comes with getting to represent your country on your home turf.
Orozco finished the first day of qualifying in fourth place with a 1,355 six-game total.
Defending champion Jenny Wegner of Sweden leads with 1,445, a 240.83 average, which included the first perfect game of this year's World Cup. She is looking to become the fourth woman in history to win the tournament in back-to-back years. Wegner is followed by Germany's Vanessa Timter (1,389), Krizziah Lyn Tabora of the Philippines (1,364), Orozco and Colombia's Rocio Restrepo (1,312).
This year marks the record third time the World Cup has visited Hermosillo (1994 and 2008) and sixth time Mexico has played host.
Only twice in history has a player from the host country won the event. Bob Worrall of the United States was the first to accomplish the feat when he won the 1981 edition in New York, and China's Wang Hongbo did so last year in Shanghai.
Two Mexicans have won the World Cup. The first was Irma Urrea who won in 1972 in Hamburg, Germany, the first time women competed, and Alfonso Rodriguez, who took the title in Seoul, South Korea, in 1985.
The World Cup first was contested in 1965, and the tournament now is considered one of the sport's most prestigious singles titles. It also is recognized as the largest event in the sport in terms of number of countries competing.
All competitors will return to the lanes at Bol 300 on Tuesday for the second round of qualifying. The women will start the day, live on BowlTV, at noon Eastern. The men will hit the lanes at 5:30 p.m. Eastern.
Team USA's Erin McCarthy and Jakob Butturff both will enter the second round in 12th place in their respective divisions.
For Butturff, Monday's round was a great chance to learn the characteristics of the 32-lane center and 41-foot oil pattern.
While he has become known for his unique, high-revolution delivery, which makes urethane bowling balls his equipment of choice, he actually found success late in Monday's block with a ball he only intended to throw if things got tricky.
Four of Butturff's six bowling balls this week are urethane, but it was a resin ball and a deeper line that helped him finish with games of 234 and 226 to surge into the top 24 with a 1,252 block, a 208.67 average. McCarthy posted a 1,214 total.
"I didn't have a really consistent ball reaction, so I had to grind early, but I was able to find something deeper inside later in the block," said Butturff, the runner-up at last week's U.S. Open. "I went away from my comfort zone, which is throwing urethane, but going to the resin ball helped me finish strong. We're seeing more transition than usual with a lot of lefties, but the possibility of what we did is something we'd talked about."
Participants this year will bowl 24 games over four days, before the field is cut to the top 24 men and top 24 women for eight additional games. After 32 games, total pinfall will determine the eight bowlers in each division for eight games of round-robin match play.
The top four men and top four women after 40 games, including bonus pins, will advance to the knockout-style semifinals Nov. 11, where the No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 qualifier and No. 2 and No. 3 will do battle. The winners of each match will earn a spot in the championship game.
The field this week includes 64 men and 54 women, representing 68 countries.
For more information about the 2017 QubicaAMF World Cup, visit QubicaAMF.com.